1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computerized methods for accessing databases, and in particular, to communication and interaction objects for connecting an application to a database management system.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known in the art to use database management systems, such as IBM""s IMS (Information Management System) database management system (DRMS), to manage computerized databases. Indeed, IMS has been used for decades and remains in use today. Currently, there is a need to access such xe2x80x9clegacyxe2x80x9d databases using application programs. However, such tasks are complex and there are few tools available to assist application program developers.
IMS Open Transaction Manager Access (OTMA) is a high performance client/server protocol that allows application programs to access an IMS DBMS. However, the application program must include an interface to the IMS OTMA, which can be difficult to develop. To interface with an IMS DBMS requires rather extensive knowledge of the architecture of the IMS DBMS, as well as the architecture of the MVS operating system. Moreover, because of security considerations with regard to accessing an IMS DBMS, a great deal of skill is involved in establishing a connection between an application program and the IMS DBMS, since it must interface with the operating system as a secure and trusted xe2x80x9cuserxe2x80x9d.
In order to more fully provide access to an IMS DBMS, it would be advantageous to have an easier mechanism to connect to the IMS DBMS and run transactions thereby. Thus, there is a need in the art for improved techniques for accessing a hierarchical database management system.
To overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, and to overcome other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present invention discloses a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for accessing a database management system. A database management system (DBMS), executed by a server computer, manages one or more datastores stored on the computer. The DBMS includes an Open Transaction Manager Access (OTMA) that provides a high level application programming interface (API) for an application program to access the DBMS and its datastores, wherein the OTMA allows the application program to create an authorized connection with the DBMS. The server computer also executes a TCP/IP OTMA Connection (TOC) that accepts and manages connections between the DBMS And the application program. In the preferred embodiment, die application comprises a JAVA servlet or applet executed by a JAVA Virtual Machine (JVW). A TOC Connector for JAVA interfaces the JVM to the TOC, wherein the TOC Connector for JAVA includes one or more objects for establishing a connection between the servlet or applet executed by the JVM and the OTMA of the DBMS, so that transactions can be transmitted from the application program to the DBMS over the established connection and results of the transmitted transactions can be received at the application from the DBMS.
Various advantages and features of novelty, which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part hereof However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described specific examples of an apparatus in accordance with the invention.